Historic Wildfires Across Western ND – Fires continue to burn in western North Dakota. The State Emergency Operations Center reports three fires have not been fully contained. As of Sunday afternoon, the Elkhorn Fire near Grassy Butte was 12 miles long and five miles wide. The Bear Den Fire near Mandaree covers 25,000 acres and the two fires merged into one in Williams County, which includes Ray, Alamo and Tioga. The firefighting was challenged by strong winds and dry conditions. Many areas had wind gusts topping 75 miles per hour. Those winds have thankfully died down, but the work continues. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will survey the damage and the ongoing response efforts today.

Ongoing Fire Threat – While the strongest winds prevailed this weekend, the threat of fire is still high. “Conditions continue to look dry, and rain is not in the forecast,” says Angie Johnson, farm and ranch safety coordinator, North Dakota State University Extension. Preventative measures should continue to be taken. “Monitor bearing temperatures with an infrared thermometer throughout the day when harvesting, take an air compressor and blow off that extra chaff, crop residue, and dust. Get that material off often.”

Report Livestock Losses – Farmers and ranchers who are missing livestock due to the wildfires in western North Dakota are asked to contact the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association. In addition to the land charred by the fire, many fences were cut to fight the fire. The Stockmen’s Association is working with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and NDSU Extension to develop a list of resources for affected farmers and ranchers.

Strike is Over – After a three-day strike, ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast are operating again. The U.S. Maritime Alliance offered a 62 percent increase in wages over six years. The Longshoremen’s Association agreed to suspend their strike until mid-January, giving both sides more time to negotiate. One of the key remaining issues is the use of automation on the docks. On Friday, ports began clearing containers that were left sitting on the docks and dealing with a backlog of more than 40 ships.

The Threat of Sanctions and Tariffs – Agriculture is in a down cycle. Virginia Tech Professor Emeritus Dr. David Kohl told the North Dakota Bankers Association the biggest challenge is geopolitical risk. “Sanctions and tariffs don’t hit the general economy as much, it hits the farm economy because $1 in every $5 in net farm income comes from the export market.” Kohl cited Canada’s decision to impose 100 percent tariffs on electric vehicles which resulted in a shutdown of canola exports to China. Both presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, have adopted a protectionist approach to trade. Kohl said that is happening worldwide. “For example, the leader of India is very protectionist-oriented. Europe is also moving toward that stance.” During the Ag Credit Conference in Fargo, Kohl also discussed land values and the demographic trends in agriculture. Listen to the interview.

Status Quo is ‘Not Sustainable’ – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is urging Congress to take action on the farm bill. In a letter to the leaders of the Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus, the group said the status quo for U.S. specialty crop growers is “not sustainable.” Specialty crops have not historically been treated the same as major commodities and the SCFBA said the new farm bill needs “more investment, not less, in specialty crops.”

An Incentive for Congress to Act – Not all farm programs ended when the farm bill expired at the end of September. Kansas-based Washburn University School of Agriculture Law Professor Roger McEowen says the programs funded outside the farm bill will continue. The permanent law for commodity programs takes effect on January 1. “What that means is a farmer would get base prices that are far above current base prices due to parity,” said McEowen. “They take it back to what the prices were from 1910 to 1914 adjusted for inflation. This is a fun one to play with. I don’t think it’ll ever happen but the support price for wheat would be $15.08 a bushel; corn would be $7.45 a bushel. Soybean doesn’t have a support program. The parity price for sugarbeets is $166 per ton.” McEowen was part of the Ag Credit Conference in Fargo.

Beet Campaign Begins – The American Crystal Sugar Company harvest campaign officially started early Thursday morning. “We’re going to be monitoring those root temperatures very closely,” says Harrison Weber, executive director, Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association. “It might be getting shut down for some heat, but that’s just going to have to be the way it is this year.”

Getting Sweeter in the Dust – Hitterdal, Minnesota farmer Beau Jacobson is happy with the beet crop. “Sugars are climbing with the dry weather we’ve been having.” The ground is really dry, “but, you know, I enjoy the dust more than the mud. I don’t think anybody wants to start asking for rain at the moment.” Jacobson said he’d welcome some rain after harvest.

Adjusting to the Heat – With warm temperatures still in the forecast, sugarbeet farmers may face a sporadic start to harvest. “When we get shutdowns, we understand why and we understand why we have to be close to the toppers so we’ll just do everything we can to keep going, but Mother Nature this year, it’s just too warm,” said Brent Halfmann, Stephen, Minnesota. “We’ll do what weather allows and we’ll adjust.”

Dry Bean, Soybean Harvest Rolls Along at Colgate, ND – Colgate, North Dakota farmer Jason Mewes reports his dry edible bean yields have been average to above average. Weather has impacted the quality of the soybeans. “We’ve seen some really good soybeans and then we’ve also seen some that were a little disappointing. We were in a fairly dry pocket all summer. That really played a role with some of the disappointing yields for us.”

Drier Than Expected – Soybean harvest is advancing quickly throughout the region with dry conditions. “There’s a lot of beans being harvested here in the last week and it continues in all the dry weather and there’s no sign of rain in the forecast so there should be no delays,” says Nick Peterson, St. Cloud, Minnesota. “Things have dried down fast.” Peterson says some of the beans don’t look like they are ready but the beans are sitting at 10 percent moisture or less.

Wind Dried Soybeans Too Quickly – Windy conditions helped dry down the soybeans and the corn in South Dakota. Soybeans started on the wet side, but Justin Minnaert, of Madison, says that changed quickly. “We got a handful of 80 degree days with strong winds and now we’re combining eight to nine percent soybeans.” Despite some drown-out spots in the corn, Minnaert remains optimistic about the crop coming off shortly. “We’re hearing a few preliminary reports and they’re probably around ten-to-20 bushels per acre above APH.”

Splits Seen in Soybeans – Farmers in the Thompson, North Dakota area are making good harvest progress. Valley United Co-op Co-op Grain Manager Damon Reitz says a lot of soybeans are coming to town. “We’re dumping a lot at every location. Moisture is really low. We’ve dumped from 7.5 all the way up to probably 10,5 so the beans are very dry. Splits have become a concern.”

Broken Record: Variability – At Kennedy, Minnesota there is great variability within the soybean fields. Tom Dowdle harvested a 474-acre seed production field that was a prime example. “It varied widely in yields from the north to south because of soil types.” Dowdle reported anywhere from 40-to-65-plus bushels per acre in that field. Dowdle also grows sunflowers and sunflower midge is a concern.

Nice Yields in Grand Forks Area – Grand Forks farmer Paul Sproule is pleased with the harvest season. “The beet crop looks really good; the ground conditions are very satisfactory and we’re running 24-7.” With such a warm fall, the soybean quality is good. “We didn’t have any water damage and for myself and my neighbors, we’re seeing very nice yields.”

Windy Start to the Week – The beginning of the week brought windy conditions that helped soybeans and corn dry down faster. “You could see it in the corn. More leaves were lost, more leaves got drier,” said Darren Kadlec, Pisek, North Dakota. Kadlec got his dry beans off and was surprised that the later-planted pinto beans were better than the earlier-planted ones. “We’ll take what we can get and close the books on that crop and be happy with what we got.”

‘Underneath a Hair Dryer’ – The warmer-than-normal September weather is what the later-seeded crops needed. The recent wind has also been a factor for drydown. “It was like having your crop underneath a hair dryer, you could just see the moisture coming out,” said Jeff Hamre, sales manager, Proseed. Hamre said the crops are exceeding expectations.

Dotzenrod: ‘That’s Farming’ – The dry bean harvest is complete for Wyndmere, North Dakota farmer Rudy Dotzenrod. “We had all black beans this year and harvest went pretty good. We had some bigger fields this year in three different areas. Two of them are really good, and one was a bit of a letdown, but that’s farming.” Dotzenrod’s crop had too much moisture early on. “Those big rains stalled the beans for three to five days before they wanted to start growing again. Then we got hurt on our weed control with waterhemp coming in, but overall, we’re happy things still turned out alright.”

Warm Weather Benefits Late-Planted Corn – Gary Duffy, of Oldham, South Dakota says the corn is varied throughout the fields. “The corn that’s planted early looks really good, other than the spots where it was ponded. The spots that were planted later, it’s to be determined, but the warm weather towards the end of the summer has really helped.” Duffy is finishing up soybean harvest and hoping to get into the corn this week. Duffy says the area could use a short shot of rain. “Yeah, it’s going to slow down harvest, but I think it’s going to make things a lot safer as far as the fire goes.”

Casselton, North Dakota Harvest Advances Quickly – Hefty Seed Agronomist Jordan Swanson says the Casselton, North Dakota soybean harvest is about half done. “Yields are there even with how surprisingly dry the beans are and for how green some of the stems and leaves are still in the field.” The corn got a boost from the late-season weather. “The heat in September really pushed things along, which was greatly needed. The earlier the corn went in, I think we’ll see better yields on that side versus some of the later planted corn.”

A Hodgepodge – In Horace, North Dakota, Ryan Richard says the windy conditions are welcomed to help dry the corn enough to harvest. “We’re just kind of slowly going as we get fields that are coming around.” Some later-planted fields will need more time before they’re ready for the combine. “We pretty much have a hodgepodge of everything, good and bad.”

Tar Spot a Growing Concern – Tar spot has been confirmed in all three states in the region this year. South Dakota has a whopping 41 counties that have dealt with tar spot this year. “You might not even have a need to apply fungicide, but you may also not have the option to apply fungicide,” saids Madalyn Shires, plant pathology specialist, South Dakota State University Extension. Tar spot can cause detrimental yield losses when infections become severe. “We are trying to keep an eye on it because we don’t want it to become established and start causing those types of yield losses.”

Diversification Proves Beneficial – Mahnomen, Minnesota farmer Blair Hoseth is thankful for having a diversified operation this year. “The highlight of the farm has been the cattle this year.” Hoseth also had a good alfalfa crop until the rain shut off towards the end of the season. Hoseth expects a decent corn crop although he is just getting started with harvest.

SD Corn Comments – South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Executive Director DaNita Murray highlights the comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its draft insecticide strategy. Listen to South Dakota Corn Comments. 

Label Changes Made for Chlorpyrifos – The Environmental Protection Agency has announced added protections to endangered and threatened species when using chlorpyrifos pesticides. This includes restrictions on the application of the product, on tank-mixing and limitations related to runoff, drift and wind-speed.

Identifying Herbicide Resistance – The National Agricultural Genotyping Center based in Fargo, North Dakota is working on identifying herbicide-resistant weed species in a lab setting. “We can just do it on a leaf sample,” said Zack Bateson, research manager. Bateson highlighted the rapidness of the DNA testing compared to growing the weeds and waiting to see if they are resistant. “Right now, we’re working on two major weed species, pigweed and Kochia.” For both species, they are focusing on resistance to group two, nine, and 14 herbicides. Bateson presented at a webinar series hosted by the Northern Crops Institute.

October is Co-op Month – Co-op Month is celebrated during October to raise awareness about a trusted, proven way to do business. The theme for this year’s Co-op Month is ‘The Future is Cooperative.’ 2025 will be recognized as the International Year of Cooperatives. With Associated Milk Producers, Inc and its Dinner Bell Creamery and the North Dakota Farmers Union, RRFN recognizes the role of cooperatives during this special occasion.

Modest Rate Cuts on Horizon – After cutting the federal interest rate by a half percentage point in September, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell does not see a reason to be as aggressive going forward. Powell said the economy is in solid shape and that a steady decrease in interest rates should neither spur nor slow economic activity. With two more federal reserve meetings this year, Powell’s expectation is a quarter percentage point cut at each.

Talking Conservation – The Talking Conservation podcast is a collaboration of Farmers for Soil Health, Conservation Technology Information Center, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and RRFN. In this episode, Rochelle and AJ Krusemark of Trimont, Minnesota share their conservation journey. “I would encourage everyone to let the earthworms and the roots do the tillage instead of the machine,” is the message from Rochelle. Livestock is part of the Krusemark farm and part of the family’s focus on soil health. For the crop ground, the technology is now available on the planter to test different systems. “Just try it.” The podcast is available on the RRFN YouTube channel and an audio version is available online.

A Bigger HRSW Crop in MN, ND, SD – According to USDA’s Small Grains Summary, spring wheat production in Minnesota totaled nearly 81 million bushels, up three percent from 2023. The crop averaged 68.5 bushels per acre, up 6.5 bushels per acre from last year. North Dakota spring wheat production was up 16 percent from a year ago, totaling 310 million bushels. North Dakota spring wheat yields averaged a record 59 bushels per acre, up 10.5 bushels per acre. This year’s spring wheat crop totaled 31.1 million bushels in South Dakota, up 11 percent from a year ago. The average yield was 49 bushels per acre, up six bushels per acre from 2023.

State Small Grain Summary – According to USDA’s Small Grains Summary, spring wheat production in Minnesota totaled nearly 81 million bushels, up three percent from 2023. The crop averaged 68.5 bushels per acre, up 6.5 bushels per acre from last year. North Dakota spring wheat production was up 16 percent from a year ago, totaling 310 million bushels. North Dakota spring wheat yields averaged a record 59 bushels per acre, up 10.5 bushels per acre. This year’s spring wheat crop totaled 31.1 million bushels in South Dakota, up 11 percent from a year ago. The average yield was 49 bushels per acre, up six bushels per acre from 2023.

Quarterly Stocks Report Released – USDA’s quarterly stocks numbers came in below average trade guesses. Old crop corn ending stocks at 1.76 billion bushels, with the average trade guess at 1.85 billion. Soybean ending stocks of 342 million bushels, the average trade estimate was 354 million bushels and all wheat stocks came in at 1.98 billion bushels.

Corn Was the Surprise for the Report – After the release of USDA’s quarterly stocks report, Midwest Market Solutions President Brian Hoops said the supply of corn and soybeans will be replenished quickly with this season’s crop. The corn estimate may have been tighter than some expected “because of strong ethanol demand and possibly strong usage for feed because cattle weights and hog weights are increasing. We’re probably using more feed usage there but that’s a big draw down. That’s the positive number for corn.”

MN Corn Comments – Minnesota Corn Growers Association Past President Richard Syverson joins this week’s Minnesota Corn Comments to discuss the Consumer and Fuel Choice Act. Listen to the update.

More Grain Stored On-Farm in Tri-State – In North Dakota, the amount of corn in the bin is up 108 percent from a year ago. Stocks are up 51 percent in Minnesota and up 103 percent in South Dakota. On-farm stocks of soybeans were up 42 percent from a year ago in North Dakota; up 44 percent in Minnesota and up 95 percent in South Dakota. The USDA reports on-farm stocks of wheat are up 27 percent from a year ago in North Dakota; up 74 percent in Minnesota and up 42 percent in South Dakota

Dry Bean Scene – North Dakota Dry Bean Council member Dry Josh Ihry joins this week’s Dry Bean Scene to discuss the dry bean harvest at Hope, North Dakota. Listen to the report.

Farming for the Future – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Red River Farm Network and the Linder Farm Network to provide information on soil health events and topics. Matt Tiffany is a producer from Redwood County and he joins us this week to talk about conservation and profitability on their farm. Listen to Farming for the Future. 

Russian Bombs Hit Grain Shipment – A Russian missile damaged a ship loaded with corn while it was parked in a Ukrainian port. The civilian vessel was loaded with 6,000 tons of Ukrainian corn. A Ukrainian government official said this is Russia’s latest attempt to influence the food corridor on the Black Sea and damage global food security.

Demand Destruction – Commodity markets have faced demand destruction. AgCulture Marketing CEO Delaney Howell said that is especially true with China. “Their economy is getting hit really hard by some of the larger global economic factors at play, such as rising interest rates. and we’re seeing their GDP growth not happening as quickly as they’d like,” said Howell. “That’s translating to consumers spending less in the grocery store. With pork being such a major staple of their diet and hogs eat soybeans, we’re also seeing less demand on the soybean front.” Howell was part of the Ag Credit Conference in Fargo. Listen to the RRFN interview with Howell.

A Shift to SA Weather – Warm, dry weather is supporting harvest activity, but serving as an anchor on the markets. U.S. Commodities President Don Roose said the trade has also shifted its focus to South American weather. “It looks like we have a chance for improved weather and maybe a pattern change in those dry areas in northern Brazil.” The Black Sea region is also seeing the potential for moisture. “That’s been pretty dry as far as it goes with Russia and Ukraine and their winter wheat.”

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson cites the bullish trend in the cattle market and Wall Street. The grain market seems to be cooling down and that’s in the ‘not hot’ category. Listen to the report.

G7 Ag Ministerial: Feeding a Global Market – The G-7 agricultural ministerial meeting in Italy focused on sustainable food systems in a changing global climate. North Dakota Farmer’s Union President Mark Watne was part of the U.S. ag delegation that met simultaneously. “We were trying to deliver a message about what’s happening in agriculture and what it may take to meet the standards that are expected to feed a growing population amidst a changing climate.” While it is a global economy, Watne said each country has its own needs. “Whether one country is accepting a certain technology, whether another country is being more sensitive to the environment, what is done as far as satisfying the human needs in their country, and what’s acceptable? All those things play roles in shaping a global economy and you’ve got to be willing to adjust slightly to be able to sell to certain countries.” National Farmers Union President Rob Larew and Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish were also part of the G-7 ag meetings.

USDA Announces Results of Soybean Request for Referendum – USDA says a referendum on the soybean checkoff will not be conducted. The decision is the result of a request for referendum held in May. The Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct the request for referendum every five years to determine if growers want to continue the checkoff. Out of 413,000 soybean producers nationwide, 229 submitted requests for the referendum.

ACSC Stock Values Hold Strong – According to the Red River Land Company, 250 shares of American Crystal Sugar Company stock have been sold for $5,650 per share. Hundreds of shares are available at that price and higher.

Fielding Questions – In this edition of the Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services VP/Branch Manager Parker Wiltse discusses how lenders utilize the steps of the Credit Risk Chain. This is important information as farmers go through their annual cash flow reports. Fielding Questions is a collaboration of AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network. Click this link to hear the podcast.

Farm Groups Rally Against Mandatory EID – R-CALF USA and 45 other farming, ranching, and food groups sent a letter to Congress expressing the need to block the USDA’s mandated use of electronic identification ear tags in adult animals. R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says the current traceability efforts are enough. “We have been fighting against the USDA’s effort to mandate an electronic identification system for many years,” Bullard says. “The USDA, in 2013, agreed with producers that we could achieve the disease traceability objective by still providing producers with flexibility, by allowing them to choose their type of animal identification.” R-CALF has some support from various congressional leaders but continues to push for stop to the mandate.

Anthrax Recorded in ND – The first case of anthrax for the year in North Dakota has been confirmed. State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress says this is a reminder to vaccinate your cattle against the disease. The anthrax bacteria can lie dormant in the ground for decades and become active during times of heavy rainfall, flooding, or drought. Andress urges ranchers to reach out to their local veterinarian to discuss vaccination options and if they come upon any unusual losses on pasture.

Grazing Research Could Lead to Crop Benefits – NDSU Livestock Environmental Stewardship Specialist Miranda Meehan is working on multiple projects aimed at integrating crop-livestock systems. “We’re going to put in three different winter annual or winter cereals and we are hopefully going to graze this fall; look at the animal performance and production of the following cash crop, which is corn. Then we should see if there is a yield drag by having those winter cereals before our corn crop.” Meehan anticipates many benefits to the integrated system. “We are also using those grazing technologies to improve grazing efficiency.”

New Ownership for Controversial Beef Company – A Killdeer, North Dakota rancher, Wylie Bice, and his business partner from Texas, will pay nearly $16 million for Agridime. According to North Dakota Monitor, this beef marketing company allegedly raised $191 million from 2,100 investors in 15 states in a Ponzi scheme. A court hearing to approve the sale is scheduled this week. The purchase agreement reportedly plans to give investors 20 percent of profits over five years. Agridime is now doing business as American Grazed Beef.

Peltier Complex to Expand Beef Research in North Dakota – NDSU’s Beef Field Day was held at the new Peltier Complex on campus. North Dakota Beef Commission board member Brian Amundson is excited about the research that will be done there. “What we’re tasked with doing is taking producer dollars and educating the consumer and part of that education process is through research. With this new research facility, we’re really excited because it’s an avenue within our own state to get some really high-quality research.”

Beef Industry Heads to Campus – The new Peltier Complex hosted the NDSU Beef Field Day on Wednesday. “Field days like this one are great ways to showcase the areas we think are critical to profitability,” said Greg Lardy, Vice President of Agriculture.  “Things like nutrition, the meat science side and how to have better carcass quality.” New technologies, like virtual fencing, received attention.

Funds Availabe to Prevent Wolf Attacks – New money is available to Minnesota livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has $45,000 available through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention grant program. The money can be used for the purchase of guard animals, fencing or special lighting and alarms. The applications are due by January 3.

Animal Rights Issues on Denver Ballot – Denver residents will vote on two anti-agriculture ballot initiatives next month. Both initiatives were organized by an activist group called Pro Animal Future. One of the issues on the ballot would ban slaughterhouses in the city. The only facility that would be impacted is one of the largest lamb slaughter plants in the country known as Superior Farms. Colorado Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Erin Karney Spaur said this ban has wide-ranging implications. “Pro-Animal Future and their broad goals of not only eliminating that slaughterhouse but their future goals of eliminating animal agriculture not only impacts the city, county and Denver residents but could potentially impact everyone nationwide.” The other ballot measure would ban the sale and manufacturing of fur products and would potentially prevent the sale of felt cowboy hats in a city that is known for its western culture and is home to the National Western Stock Show. A spokesperson for Pro Animal Future claims a vote for these bans is a vote against animal cruelty.

States Appeal Mass Q3 – Twenty-two states are appealing a district court ruling that upheld the Massachusetts pork ban. The Massachusetts Question 3 pork ban prevents other states from selling pork in the state or even transporting pork through the state if it doesn’t comply with its sow-housing standards. The states challenging the federal ruling include North Dakota and South Dakota.

CAFOs in Court – The U.S. Appeals Court in San Francisco rejected a lawsuit that sought significant changes to the rules governing concentrated animal feeding operations. The activist group called Food & Water Watch, wanted to change the burden of proof for potential violations of the Clean Water Act. The National Pork Producers Council said activist groups want to rewrite federal law through the courts and ultimately put pork producers out of business.

Seasonal Strength in Class III Milk – Despite a recent drop-off in cheese markets, the Class III milk market has been very resilient. At World Dairy Expo, Ever.Ag Principal Mike North credited seasonal tendencies. “We’ve got lower components as we’ve come through the summer. Production has been lower because the cows just aren’t there. We’ve been stressed with some of this bird flu in key geographies around the United States and by the way, now, we sent a bunch of kids back to school sucking milk back into the bottling realm, college kids back to their pizza diet and football launching at the same time.” North said that is why milk prices typically have these peaks in late September into early November. In the past, $20-plus milk prices would have a dramatic impact on production. Strong beef prices, an absence of heifers and an aging cow herd have changed that scenario during the current cycle.

Strong Cheese Demand Remains – After tough times in the dairy sector,  AMPI Vice President of Marketing Sarah Schmidt says this year has been a good change. Demand is strong for all product segments. “This year it seems like cheese was put on promotion more at retail grocery stores, more consumers were grabbing that two-for-$5 deal and it’s really showing up in our milk price.” Schmidt also noted increased exports of U.S. dairy products because of a downturn in supply in other major dairy-producing countries.

The Voice of Milk – A new collaboration is in place for three Midwest dairy organizations. The Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative will work together on dairy policy issues. The collaboration is being branded as the ‘Voice of Milk.’ The umbrella brand represents dairy farmers in nine states including Minnesota and South Dakota.

This is National 4-H Week – Nearly 6 million kids are involved with 4-H nationwide. North Dakota State University Extension 4-H Activities Coordinator Karla Meikle says there are many opportunities for leadership growth in 4-H. “They might go and experience what a commissioner’s meeting or a fair board meeting is like. They might advocate to do something in their community as far as service learning. They’re gaining real valuable leadership skills to prepare them for the future.”

Roots Run Deep – From starting 4-H at nine years old to watching his grandkids participate, farm management analyst Kent Thiesse has never known a life without this youth program. “4-H has always been ‘learn by doing’ and that’s what it’s all about. There’s more opportunities than ever even if you don’t live on a farm or have livestock.” Thiesse spent 28 years in Extension and has helped coordinate the Minnesota State 4-H Beef Show for 45 years. Thiesse lives at Lake Crystal, Minnesota.

Celebrating 4-H: Service & Fun! – The 4-H programs across North Dakota have special activities underway for this week’s celebration. “We always kick off 4-H Week with a pancake breakfast, our 4-Hers love to serve the community,” says Sara Laite, Ramsey County Extension agent. “Other activities include daily trivia on social media, ‘Wear Green Wednesday,’ and service projects for homeless and foster kids.”

Most Grain Payments Still Made by Check – While the world is going digital, the use of paper checks is still the standard for farmers. Fargo-based Bushel has released a special report on payments in agriculture. The report said over 70 percent of grain payments to farmers are still processed by paper checks. “It is one of the most paper check-based industries out there today, no question,” declared Jake Joraanstad, CEO, Bushel. Joraanstad is seeing a significant shift from paper checks to digital methods, such as ACH and digital wallets. Young farmers and those with aggressive plans for growth are driving the transition to digital payments. “It’s almost entirely the agribusiness that is the lack of adopter.” Bushel is a software company focused on developing digital tools for the agricultural supply chain. In 2025, the company will offer a banking option to farmers. The State of Agriculture Payments Report can be found online. Click here to listen to the interview with Joraanstad.

A Crush Plant Shutdown at Harvest Time – The ADM soybean crush plant in Des Moines, Iowa will shut down for maintenance from mid-October to mid-November. The plant crushes about 5 million bushels per month and is the nation’s third largest plant.

Deere and DeLaval Partner on Dairy Data Platform – John Deere and DeLaval have launched a new digital platform called the Milk Sustainability Center. Dairy farmers will be able to track data from their crops and dairy herds in one system. In the future, this program will allow farmers to benchmark nutrient efficiency and a reduction in CO2 emissions. The Milk Sustainability Center is now available to a small group of dairy farmers in the U.S., Netherlands and Germany with plans to expand to other countries.

OptiHarv Launched at WDE – During World Dairy Expo, Renovo Seed introduced a new forage mix called OptiHarv. The mix is a blend of millets, peas, beans, barley and brassicas and produces more tonnage for baleage, haylage or grazing. The Brookings-based Renovo Seed said OptiHarv is designed for cattle producers looking for a high-quality feed, such as dairy farmers.

A Rebranding for MGEX – The Minneapolis Grain Exchange is being renamed MIAX Futures Exchange. Miami International Holdings acquired MGEX four years ago. MIAX Futures Exchange plans to roll out a new platform in 2025 for agricultural and financial futures products.

Lamb Weston Reports Quarterly Financials – The Lamb Weston potato processing company is reporting profits of $127 million. That’s down 46 percent from last year. Lamb Weston reports restaurant traffic and frozen potato demand remains weak and that trend is expected to continue into 2025.

Well Grounded – In this edition of Well Grounded, Wells Fargo Chief Agricultural Economist Dr. Michael Swanson detailed the consequences of a big crop. “USDA came out in early September to with its update and took the net farm income from $116 billion to a current estimate of $142 billion.” Crop prices have fallen, but livestock prices have added to the bottomline. “Farmers are not in a bad position, but they don’t feel good about it because they thought it was going to be better.” Interest rates and the impact on land values ius also discussed. Well Grounded is a collaboration between Acres & Shares and the Red River Farm Network. Listen to the podcast.

Correction – The expiration of the 2018 farm bill on September 30 did not impact grain inspection services. There will be no new enrollments in the Conservation Reserve Program until a new farm bill is passed, but there isn’t an impact on the EQIP program. Errors were made in the last edition of FarmNetNews.

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – Check out the Job Opportunities in Agriculture tab on the Red River Farm Network website. The East Polk County Farm Service Agency in McIntosh has two positions available. The two full-time program analysts are positions supporting the FSA programs administered at the local level. Starting annual salary ranges from $39,576 to $77,955 per year depending on qualifications. Positions with FSA offer benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, 401(k) plan, paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, and flexible work schedules. Find out more on the Job Opportunities in Agriculture tab on the Red River Farm Network website.

Canola Minute – ere’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. The U.S. Canola Association submitted comments to the Secretary of Treasury stressing the importance of a safe harbor provision for biodiesel and renewable diesel made from canola oil. NCGA Executive Director Barry Coleman is our featured guest.  Click here to listen to the report. 

MCGA Welcomes New Officer Team – The Minnesota Corn Growers Association has announced its 2024-25 leadership team. Jim Kanten of Milan will serve as president. Wes Beck, St. James, will serve as first vice president. The treasurer is Todd Wentzel of Murdock and Rob Tate of Cannon Falls is the secretary.

NASDA Tribute Honors Northey – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture honored former USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey with its Ambassador’s Circle Award. Northey also served as Iowa’s secretary of agriculture from 2007-to-2018. The award will now be known as the Bill Northey Legacy Award. Northey passed away this past February.

Scoular Promotes Barry – Scoular has named Jordan Barry as the general manager of its renewables and oilseeds division. Barry has been part of Scoular’s international feed business for the past year. He will now lead the company’s oilseed crush and sunflower, flax and bird food businesses.

MFBF Hires Policy Specialist – Hunter Pederson is the new public policy specialist for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. Most recently, Pederson was the committee administrator for the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee.

Winter Joins NDBC Staff – Don Winter is the new collections and compliance specialist for the North Dakota Beef Commission. Winter is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of UW-Stevens Point. Winter now lives in Washburn.